Creed, and are taught to every child. It is not
enough to repeat the Creed like a parrot, but the meaning of the truths
contained in it must be grasped by the mind and understood. This is
the advantage of Christian instruction, and I think it would be well if
we Clergy, instead of so generally appealing to your consciences to
lead good lives, were more frequently to refresh your minds with the
truths which you must embrace with your understandings. I believe one
great reason why you make so little advance in the spiritual life is,
that you so little understand what God requires of you to believe.

After the Children of Israel had been carried into captivity by the
Assyrian king Shalmanezar, a number of persons were sent from Babylon
to inhabit Samaria, the capital, and other cities of Israel. They
settled there, but did not thrive, for this reason, the land was
overrun with lions. You will find the story in 2 Kings xvii. A great
many of the colonists were killed by the lions. "Therefore they spake
to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed,
and placed in the cities of Samaria, have lions among them, and behold,
they slay them." What course did Shalmanezar adopt, on hearing this?
Did he send them hunters, expert in killing lions? No. Or dogs to
drive them? Did he supply them with snares, and teach them how to make
pitfalls for the lions? No!--listen to what he did. "Then the king of
Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye
brought from thence; and let him teach them the manner of the God of
the land."

This succeeded, for we learn that the lions ceased to trouble the
colonists when they had learned to know and fear the God of Israel.

What a lesson this heathen king sets us! "The devil walketh about as a
roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, whom resist, steadfast in the
faith." Do you notice the words of S. Peter? The lion who seeks to
devour you, who lays waste the land, who destroys so many souls, can be
mastered and expelled, but only if you are steadfast in the faith, only
if, like these settlers in Samaria, you have been taught the manner of
the God of our land. Evil of all sort, temptations and snares, evil
spirits and seductions will draw you into destruction, and you will be
quite powerless to escape or resist, unless you know the manner of the
God of our land, or--in S. Peter's words--are steadfast in the faith.

II. It is not enough t